History timeline 1830-39

1830: Webster-Hayne debate
    Indian Removal Act
    July Revolution (France)

1831: The Liberator begins publication
    Nat Turner's Rebellion
    Charles Darwin begins voyage on the Beagle

1832: Black Hawk War
    Andrew Jackson reelected President
    Bank War
    Nullification Crisis

1834: Jackson Censured
    Britain abolishes slavery

1835: US pays off national debt
    Grimke's Letter
    Texas Revolution begins
    Assassination Attempt on Andrew Jackson

1836: The Alamo
    Goliad Massacre
    Battle of San Jacinto
    Martin Van Buren wins presidential election

1837: Panic of 1837
    Victoria becomes Queen of England

1839: First Opium War (1839-42)
    Daguerre gets patent for his camera

American History timeline: 1810-1819

1810: Beethoven's Fur Elise
    Macon's Bill #2

1811: Battle of Tippecanoe

1812: New Madrid Earthquake
    U.S. declares war on Britain
    U.S. Invades Canada
    Detroit surrenders
    Constitution vs. Guerriere
    Battle of Borodino
    Napoleon invades Russia
    Battle of Queenston Heights
    James Madison re-elected President

1813: Battle of Lake Erie
    Battle of the Thames
    Battle of Leipzig
    Battle of Crysler's Farm

1814: Battle of Horseshoe Bend
    Bourbon Restoration/Napoleon's abdication
    Battle of Lundy's Lane
    British burn Washington D.C
    Battle of Lake Champlain
    Fort McHenry & The Star Spangled Banner
    Treaty of Ghent ends the War of 1812

1815: Battle of New Orleans
    Hartford Convention
    Napoleon's 100 Days
    Waterloo
    Mt. Tambura explodes leading to the Year without summer
    Congress of Vienna
    Napoleon exiled to St. Helena

1816: James Monroe elected President

1817: Rush-Bagot Treaty
    First Seminole War begins

1818: Frankenstein published
    Jackson invades Florida
    "Silent Night" written

1819: Panic of 1819
    Dartmouth College vs Woodward
    Adams-Onis Treaty
    McCullough vs Maryland
    Peterloo Massacre
    Missouri Crisis begins

Quotes of the Month: January 2015

Quote of the Month: "Je suis Charlie"


Stupid Quote of the Month: "We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. "

-Michael Moore


And the Rest...
"As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again."

-Bono

"Congratulations to the president for turning a two year recession into a six year one."

-Kimberly Gilfoyle

"You have to be careful about drinking around me."

-Bill Cosby

"I hear the sound of time roaring past me, and there is no time to lose. "

-Robert Plant

"Pussy Nation."

-Bill Maher on American Progressives

"What we've said all along, and have been called bigots for it, is when there's this many bad apples, there's something wrong with the orchard."


Bill Maher on Islam

 "The Prophet is avenged."

-Charlie Hebdo terrorists

"Well, this is surreal. I am completely knocked out. Thank you to the Academy for this incredible honor. I am very proud and lucky to be a part of Birdman and can't believe it came to this. I am so fucking excited. Are you allowed to say fuck when you're making a statement for the Oscars? I'm just really fucking excited."

-Emma Stone

"Some think that, excuse me if I use that word, that in order to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits. No. Responsible parenthood."

-Pope Francis I

"I have no more campaigns to run. ... I know because I won both of them"

-Barack Obama being a dickhead

"I was in The Tea Party before there was a Tea Party."


-John Boehner

"To state the obvious, the past six years have been really, really hard for this country."


-Joe Biden

"Get out of here, you low-life scum."


-John McCain to Code Pink protesters trying to arrest Henry Kissinger

Sci-Fi History: Atlas Shrugged (1957)

Ayn Rand’s masterwork centers around an America where people refuse to be exploited by government. Rather than surrender to high taxes and regulation, they shutter themselves in. The book delves into the failures of big government and focuses on individualism and reason. Leftists HATE the work with a passion. Interestingly, some of the reactions Rand writes about happened in the 1970s and the 2010s.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEDtQkeLFCE
 

Douce Bag of the Year-2010

Usually around Thanksgiving, media types unveil their turkeys of the year. I am doing the same thing...just using a more descriptive term.

Last year's winners: The Balloon Boy's family and the White House Party Crashers.

This year's nominees (in no particular order):

Nancy Pelosi: The House speaker destroyed her party with extreme policies and does not understand why people rejected her. Rather than gracefully resign, she has returned to continue her crusade against America.

LeBron James: The decision, the betrayal, the retarded Nike ad, his Miami fashion show-like debut, the feud with his former boss, and Miami's slow start make LeBron one of the favorites this year.

Julian Assange: This narcissist may get someone killed. Of course, he's already been accused with rape. I always believed he more resembled a pedophile.

Tony Heyward: America's friend from BP. The only thing worse than Heyward's behavior during the oil spill was Obama's!

Westboro Baptist Church: These guys are beyond douche bags.

California Voters: Barbara Boxer is the worst member of the U.S. Senate. Jerry Brown is vacuous. Californians elected both of them. Who's the bigger fool, the fool or the fool who follows it?

Miami Heat Fans: Despite having a super-team, Heat fans can not be bothered to attend games.

The Barefoot Bandit: What a turd.

Mel Gibson: 'nuf said.

Paul Krugman: This douche advocates massive government spending to stimulate the economy. In 5,000 years of human history, this has NEVER worked to create sustained growth. All it does is deplete treasuries, increase taxes, and create a very angry citizenry. He knows that. 

and the winner: LeBron James

Predictions 2010

Here are my fearless predictions for the coming year....

Afghan War: Afghan surge is successful.


The Economy: China collapses the world economy. Hello 1932!!!

Iran: The Iranian Mullahs are overthrown. Goodbye Islamic Republic of Iran!

Europe: Tensions over immigration leads to race riots. Meanwhile, the economic downturn and government cutbacks lead to leftist rioting.

American Elections: GOP gains 30 House Seats and 6 in the Senate; California governorship, Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, and Chris Dodd lose

Technology: Blu Ray collapses as a result of the economy, computer downloads, and old school DVDs.

Entertainment: Someone dies trying to get on a reality TV show. The genre will collapse this decade.

University of Michigan: Rich Rodriguez will be fired.

Sports: The NY Yankees will have one of the great seasons in sports history.

The Post Progressives: 1921-1929

The Post Progressive presidencies defined themselves visa-vie their progressive predecessors. Their domestic policies ranged from laissez faire to massive governmental action. Their foreign policies had to contend with an isolationist populace. The first of the group was elected to return America to normalcy. Voters had enough of foreign adventures and enough government involvement in the economy and the country. The second group had to deal with the Great Depression.

Like Barack Obama, Warren Harding went from little known senator without any accomplishments straight to the White House. Like Obama, he was charismatic, good looking, and was surrounded by corrupt party hacks. Unlike Obama, Harding knew he was not very competent. He hoped to be a well-liked president as opposed to a great president.

The Harding Administration is best known for scandal. His attorney general resigned after taking bribes, he fathered a child out of wedlock, and smuggled another mistress out of the country before the 1920 election. It was a lot like the Clinton years some 70 years later. The biggest scandal broke after Harding died. The Teapot Dome scandal was one of the worst in U.S. history. The Secretary of the Interior took bribes from an oil company. In return, the company could drill oil land set aside for the Navy. Luckily for Harding, he died before the scandal broke. His historical reputation did not survive. Like Bill Clinton, Warren Harding will be remembered for scandal and womanizing.

Harding’s vice-president, Calvin Coolidge, restored public confidence in government. He cleaned up Harding’s mess. He then moved to fix the economy which was in a funk since World War I. Coolidge cut taxes and created an environment amiable to growth. Coolidge’s legacy was the Roaring 20s. During his tenure, the economy grew at a breath taking pace. People’s lives became easier, money flowed, and culture flourished. This was the Jazz Age. A spirit of modernity prevailed. Coolidge decided not to run for re-election in 1928. The country was in seemingly good shape.

The Obama Doomsday Prophesy

The Mayan Calendar ends on December 22, 2012. That corresponds with the end of the Obama Presidency. Some think that the Mayans predicted an apocalypse at the end of 2012. With the way the Obama Administration spends money, it could very well be a financial apocalypse.

With spending out of control, tax increases are next. Cap and Trade is nothing more than a tax bill. It will raise taxes on utilities while passing the blame onto utility companies. The cost could be $3000 a year for the average family. So much for the promise to not raise taxes on those making less than $200,000.

The other big ticket item is health care. The administration has already stated it is open to taxing health benefits. Unions would be exempt because they gave Obama a lot of money. So much for changing Washington.

With spending out of control, an economic slump, and tax increases on the horizon, the Mayan Doomsday Prophesy is beginning to look like reality. Of course, what did we expect? The country elected a man without the resume, gravitas, or ability to do the job. Instead, the country elected a celebrity wannabe that has the ability to make pretty speeches on a teleprompter. Take away that prompter and there is nothing left unlike the Mayans who survived their own apocalypse through their artifacts and their descendants.

Government Motors

The government takes over General Motors. General Motors goes bankrupt. Any coincidence? Government policy caused the economic collapse. Government stimulus costs two jobs for every job created or "saved." The government must now raise taxes or print more money. Next stop: Weimar Germany.

Assorted Ramblings

Item: Protesters meet Barack Obama at Notre Dame

Thoughts: First, the Tea Parties and now this? Conservative protesters strike twice in one year? These are two different groups of conservatives. The Tea Protesters were concerned about ridiculous spending and high taxation. Notre Dame was a social conservative event. Either way, something might be afoot and it's at the grass roots level. This is not a top down movement right now. If Conservatives are protesting, are the 60s not far behind?

Item: Nancy Pelosi has been lying about the CIA.

Thoughts: She is in deep trouble. First, she has po'd the bureaucrats, and they protect their own. Second, her speakership is in danger. Third, this could distract the congress for months. Last, her resignation would be the best thing for the country. She's too loony to be speaker.

Item: Dick Cheney won't go away.

Thoughts: If the GOP was able to get a message out, he could retire!

Item: My house has lost $100,000 in value.

Thoughts: ouch!

Item: Star Trek made lots of money at the box office.

Thoughts: Amazing what hype can do. In one weekend, this film doubled the entire take for the last film. That one did not have the ad campaign and was up against Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

US Economic Downturns 1929-2009

Event: Great Depression (1929-1941)
Cause: Worldwide collapse, US Banking Collapse, Over extension of Credit, Overproduction of consumer goods
Government Response: The Hoover Administration attempted to pump money into businesses, raised taxes (income tax hit 63%), and raised tariffs. FDR launched the New Deal which included massive government spending, income tax rates up to 89% and new excise taxes on things ranging from gas to movie tickets.
Results: Hoover made the depression worse. FDR’s programs saved the banks, but the New Deal may have prolonged the depression. People began using a barter economy to escape taxation.
How it ended: Japan bombed Pearl Harbor

Event: Recession of 1937-1939
Cause: A series of labor strikes crippled the economy.
Government Response: More spending & a rhetorical campaign by FDR
Results: The stimulus failed.
How it ended: The economy began to recover with the increase in military expenditures and an end of the labor strikes.

Event: Recession of 1953-1954
Cause: End of the Korean War led to a cut in industrial production & fed policy
Government Response: None
Results: Economy recovered on its own
How it ended: Economy recovered and began to boom.

Event: Recession of 1957-1958
Cause: Worldwide downturn; Fed policy
Government Response: None
Results: Economy recovered on its own
How it ended: Economy recovered on its own

Event: Recession of 1960-1961
Cause: Fed Policy
Government Response: V.P. Nixon pushed for a looser fed policy to increase credit; Ike refused. JFK cut taxes.
Results: Long period of growth
How it ended: Tax cuts and later military spending led to a boom.

Event: Recession of 1973-74
Cause: Arab oil embargo, end of military expenditures with end of Vietnam War, stagnated wages as a result of the Great Society
Government Response: Wage and Price Controls
Results: Led to stagflation
How it ended: The economy came around, but remained sketchy for the remainder of the decade as a result of a number of factors including the energy crisis, government action under Ford and Carter, and The Great Society.

Event: Recession of 1979-1982
Cause: Iranian Revolution led to an energy crisis, fed monetary policy, the cost of Great Society programs, and general government mismanagement.
Government Response: Carter attacked the American people in the malaise speech, deregulation, tight fed policy, increased social spending. Reagan cut taxes and increased military spending.
Results: Carter’s policies led to hyperinflation and the misery index. Reagan’s led to an economic boom.
How it ended: Deregulation under both Carter and Reagan worked. Both deserve credit for saving Chrysler Corp. Reagan’s tax and military policies led to a boom. The energy crisis ended as the Middle East stabilized following the Iranian Revolution.

Event: Recession of 1990-1991
Cause: Cuts in military spending, a tax increase, spike in oil prices due to Gulf War, and S&L Crisis.
Government Response: Bush raised taxes and put the country on the course for a balanced budget. The private sector adapted.
Results: The recession was over relatively quickly, but the general public did not realize it until mid-1993.
How it ended: The private sector adapted. Tech boom.

Event: Recession of 2000-2001
Cause: Tech bubble burst, a series of business scandals, and 911
Government Response: Clinton did nothing. Bush cut taxes.
Results: The economy survived and boomed for a short time.
How it ended: Tax cuts kept the economy afloat.

Event: The current downturn (2007-present)
Cause: Collapse of housing market, bank failures, over extension of credit due to government interference, high energy prices, and a worldwide downturn.
Government Response: Under Bush, Fed loosened monetary policy, bailouts, and stimulus plans. Under Obama, increased government spending and tax increases.
Results: Thus far, the recession has deepened and since Obama’s election, the stock market has lost 20% of its value.
How it ended: ????

Bush 2008

Struggles continued between Bush and Congress over the War on Terror, Iraqi War, and presidential power. The Congress rightfully outlawed torture. Bush vetoed the bill because it banned water boarding. One definite stain on the Bush Administration is the use of such tactics, euphemistically called “aggressive interrogations.” Information obtained from such tactics is unreliable. Therefore, the use of such is unnecessary.

Bush did win a couple of victories. The wiretap bill passed. This angered the left which complained that it monitored Americans. However, it is a strong tool that can be used to nail bad guys. The left may have helped the terrorists in this battle. Their initial complaints about the monitoring of people in Afghanistan that happened to call America tipped off the terrorists.

In addition to the wiretap bill and water boarding veto, Bush also won the battle on war funding. Democrats threatened to defund the Iraq War. Many on the left begged and pleaded for it. The Democrats were caught in an interesting quandary. They could take money away from American troops in the field or they could anger their base. The troops got their funds thereby ensuring the continuation of the Iraq War. At present, the war is won. So, those that voted for the funding did the right thing.

While Bush was winning his final political victories against the Democrats, the Supreme Court handed him a defeat. The court cancelled Bush Administration guidelines at Gitmo. The detainees could appeal their detentions. Legally, this is probably the correct decision. Practically, it is moot. Obama has promised to close the detention facility.

On the foreign policy front, Russia invaded Georgia. The Russians were looking to flex their muscles and regain super power status. So, they picked a fight with their smaller, weaker neighbor. They used the same logic that Hitler used to invade Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. (For some absurd reason, many on the left argued Georgia was as responsible for the conflict as Russia.) Bush handled the situation as well as could be. American troops began to appear in the region which forced Moscow to back down after their initial war aims were met.

The other major issue in 2008 was the economy. Early in the year, gas prices spiked to over $4 a gallon as a result of speculators. Prices eventually collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic crisis. OPEC has vowed to cut production to raise prices. In the US, there was a lot of talk, but no action by the administration and congress. Bush appeared helpless, Republicans and some Democrats talked about a gas tax break, while the left opined that the timing was wrong for a massive gas price hike.

Obama was one of those in favor of price spikes. He wants to eliminate fossil fuels and move to alternative energies. That is fine, but price spikes hurt people. Despite his support for high gas prices, Obama won the presidency with 52% of the vote. The vote was anti-Bush, but more importantly, John McCain ran a terrible campaign, and the economy collapsed.

As the year ended, Israel launched air strikes on the Palestinians. The Hamas Government had been lobbing rockets into Israel which is an act of war. Israel responded with devastating effect. The Israelis probably felt pressure to retaliate before the new pro-Palestinian American Administration took power. All out war may have begun.

Moving into 2009, Bush is trying to punt where possible to give Obama some latitude in action upon assuming the presidency. Obama will be handling the worst economic situation since Jimmy Carter’s Administration. The situation has the potential of being as bad as the 1930s. Also, Obama will have to deal with Afghanistan and wind down the Iraq War.